Introduction & Overview of The Idea of Order at Key West by Wallace Stevens

The Idea of Order at Key West Introduction

Written in 1934, "The Idea of Order at Key West" remains one of the most difficult poels by one ofAmerica's most difficult poets. Yet, it stands as one of Stevens' most anthologized poems, and according to most critics of his work, it is one of his best. Stevens must have liked it as well, as he made it the title poem in his 1936 collection, Ideas of Order. As widely praised as the poem is, no authoritative reading has emerged. Indeed, there are as many different interpretations of the poem as there are readers of it.

One of the great ironies of "The Idea of Order atKey West," is that for a complex poem, its plot is rather simple. An unnamed speaker is walking along thebeach of Key West and hears a woman singing a song. The song enchants the listener/speaker, and as the woman is singing, he begins...
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